Page 57 of Flame After the Fumble

“Long time no see, babe.”

I whip my neck around to meet the calculated voice I never wanted to hear again. So much pain, memories, and self-doubt creep into my mind in a matter of minutes before I confirm what I already know without seeing him.

“What are you doing here, Layne?”

38

Hartley

“My man!” Mason heads through the huddle of drunk girls and football players to bro hug me. We’ve always been friends, but with Ryan’s situation, we’ve grown closer. Stetson, one of the Springs U baseball players in our close circle, is close behind.

“Hey.” Jutting my chin out, I stick my hands in the front pockets of my jeans.

Stetson reaches out to shake my hand, so I remove them from my pockets to return the gesture. Mason grips me and pats my back with a thump.

“Where’s Liza?” Mason’s eyes wander behind me for my petite blonde queen. If there’s anything to love about Mason, it’s his loyalty and protectiveness towards his friends. Liza falls within that category since we’ve been attached at the hip as of late.

“She saw a friend from class, so I dipped away before I consume her for the rest of the night.”

Mason shoots his million dollar smile, girls swarming behind him yet he doesn’t even notice. “You’re obsessed, man.” He reaches around to curl one of the girls under his arm.

I shake my head and try to remember a time where that was me. “You’ll never change. A true savage, dude.”

“Nah, I’m trying to be good. Figured I’d give it a try.”

I laugh. “Good luck with that.”

“Umm.” He looks behind my back again and scans the nearby crowd. “Did Em come out with you two?” His face distorts into a more serious look with his jaw clenched and his brows furrowed tight. Stetson shakes his head as if he can see the writing on the wall. He’s a quiet dude from what I’ve seen and heard. Doesn’t talk much but is always watching.

“No. Liza asked, but she said something about wanting to avoid drama.” I shrug my shoulders. “What’s the deal with you two?” It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to decipher the tension between those two at Liza’s art exhibition.

“Nothing to tell.” He sucks in his cheeks and lets out a defeated breath. “Not anymore.”

“Go with that,” Stetson pipes up.

Mason lets out a shaky breath. “Let’s table this conversation for another day. Preferably one where I’m sober.”

“I’ll catch you all later.” I leave Mason and search for Goldie in the thickened crowd. Stetson follows, saying something about needing to go for a walk. I’m taller than most people here, so it isn’t hard to spot who I want, but my stomach bottoms out when I see Liza with her arms folded over her chest, tight lips, and darting eyes with a massive guy standing too close for comfort.

“Why is Liza talking to that guy?” Stetson spits out, clearly having no lost love towards the man.

“No idea,” I manage out, fists curled up tightly.

“Guy’s a jerk,” he scoffs. “We play them tomorrow, but he’s well known amongst the team as a trash talker on the field.” Stetson’s voice muffles into the background. All I can focus on is getting to Liza.

“Wait, he plays baseball?” My jaw clenches as my fists curl, realizing who this guy is.

“Yeah. No lost love between the two teams.”

She doesn’t catch my gaze, so I push my way through the crowd, once I’m closer I see the logo on the back of his shirt,NOLA South U Baseball.Her ex is here inourbar, stealingourbad decisions night away from under my nose. My eyes narrow and my pupils dilate, seeing dotted rings around my focus. All I can think about is getting to her before he crosses a line.

Liza

“Not the warm welcome I was expecting, sweetheart.” His condescending tone dripping from the lips I once swore I would kiss forever. Now, all I feel is disgust. Layne is polarizing in a crowd, someone you can’t miss even if you tried. He towers over me in a purple NOLA South Baseball polo with khaki pants and the Nikes he’s always worn. What once was irresistible to a naive high school Liza, is now hard to look at for completely different reasons. “We play Springs U tomorrow. Thought I’d try to find my girl. Knew you’d be out. Can’t take the party out of the girl, I see.”

“What do you expect me to say, Layne?” I muster up as much sarcasm as I can in my shocked state. “Thank you so much for cheating on me. I’m so happy to see you!”

He scoffs loudly, dismissing my feelings like he always does. “You’re still on that?” He inches closer and closer, almost backing me into the sticky bar wall. The already small space closes in on me in the worst way. I’m suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. He takes up all the air. “I’m an athlete, Liza. It meant nothing. You know it’s always been you.”

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